A Magic Trail Walk

 

Because Newfoundland (NL) winters are so long and harsh, and because CB was so 'hilly' and icy, winter usually meant I was stuck indoors most of the time. Each spring when I could safely get outside to walk, I'd notice that my strength and endurance had lessened. 

My new community is flat which means I can walk year round. It's off the highway, tucked in the Humber Valley and surrounded by alpine forest on 3 sides and the Humber River on the other. There are so many trails to discover, some of which will have to wait until spring (so I don't get lost). But seeing as my word for 2023 is Explore,  I'm anxious to do just that. 

The view outside my kitchen window is a peaceful one, overlooking the trees (and the storage garage). Western NL has had a very mild winter to date. There's just enough snow on the ground to sparkle and just enough cold to make the snow crunch. The end of my street is a dead end which leads to a small copse of fir trees; you can hear a brook below but you can't see it and it's too steep to reach. However, there at the end of a chain link fence is a path leading downhill; this path is often covered with the footprints of small children and dogs, so today I decided to follow those footsteps.

At the bottom of the hill and around a bend, I came upon the brook. The path widened at this point and followed the water. Other than the sound of the water gurgling around rocks and icy patches, it was so quiet and peaceful. 

There were places where trees had fallen and you either had to go under or take the path around. In two places you could see the back side of other senior's cottages. But mostly, it was just me and the forest. Walking through this particular 'promenade' was magical: the sound of the brook combined with the snow laden fir boughs overhead was so enchanting!

The path eventually led to a bridge and onto the main road. And lo and behold! There ahead of me were the creators of the footsteps I'd been following - a mom, 2 children and 2 dogs. I followed them up the street, we took a right through another little senior's cottage community, and then following the sidewalks, they led me straight to my street. Thank you!

My leisurely stroll took me about an hour. After peeling off my many layers of clothing, and stretching my muscles for a cool down, I made myself a homemade chai latte in my beautiful last-Xmas mug. Ahhhh! This is a good start to a new year in a new community. 

Do you enjoy winter? What do you do to get through?

Namaste my friends!

I disagree with the Romans ......

Hibernia, the Land of Eternal Winter,  

was the name given to Ireland by the ancient Romans. But they had obviously never been to western Newfoundland!

Boy oh boy! It's hard work staying on top of one's mental health when all around is cold and snow. And I'm not talking about small stuff! The temperatures for the past 3 weeks have averaged -17 Celcius (approx 1 degree Fahrenheit). Today is -15 with a windchill factor which brings the temperature down to -31 C (-23 F). In these temperatures, even road salt doesn't always do its job; the roads are greasy-feeling beneath one's studded tires (law here in NL). 
As well, here on the west coast of Newfoundland, the snow doesn't stop falling:  I mean really! It snows every single day! It's not always a lot of snow; and we get days with periods of beautiful sunshine (but never a full day of sun). And those periods of sun are usually followed by periods of grey skies and blowing snow. And then there are the snow squalls which can be pretty terrifying as they blow up unexpectedly. My 10-12 min journey home at the end of the day can contain a snow squall sandwiched between sunshine! Sure makes life interesting!

And while the rest of the world is talking daffodils and mud, we will still be talking snow for at least another month and a half. Oh dear! It's around this time of year that life becomes particularly difficult for me (and others, I presume). Cabin fever can be a reality even in the middle of a city!

So, how does one keep up one's spirit? 

Artwork by Mark Sheetey

For me, it involves lots of determination, perseverance and some encouragement -- be it friends, uplifting quotes, meditation and/or prayer, music, or even the occasional tipple or toke (legal here in Canada). Whatever way one can, one crawls doggedly towards the light!

(Other than the dark hair, this picture could totally be my doughy-white arse crawling towards what I hope is a travel agent with a ticket to a hot country with free bar and room service!)

As I always mention, self-care is a huge part of how I get through these long winters. Even in the coldest of temperatures, I try to get outside each day, even if it's only to stand in the driveway for 5-10 minutes. I try to open my windows for a little every day to let in some fresh air:  Mother Nature is so important. I remind myself of the blessings and advantages I have; I try to eat well; I have successful methods to de-stress. But it's almost always a decision I have to make daily to do what I can to keep my head above it all. And my living and spending most of my time alone with another 2 months of winter still ahead means I have to work extra hard. It can be exhausting. 

But isn't it worth it? I mean, if the alternative is crying in the corner, rending my garments and gnashing my teeth, I'll choose laughter and dance every time.  

So, here's to my fellow 'winter workers' who like me are fighting daily to be positive and optimistic .... or to just hang onto your branch .... but are doggedly crawling towards the light. 

Hang in there, Babies. WE ARE WORTH IT!

Spring in my Step!

I think it's safe to say that Spring has finally come to the west coast of Newfoundland. Although temperatures are still cool, the crocus are blooming, tulips are showing their buds and the snow is gone. (It may still make an attempt to fall from our northern sky, but winter has been beaten.)

Jack and Buddah in the garden. It's not green out there yet,
but there's no snow! 

A spring has also returned to my step. I made my last visit to the surgeon last week, and my wrist is fully healed. I still have to work on gaining full flexion, but I'm back to just automatically using my left hand. AND this morning, I was able to wear my rings again. Hurrah!

Punta Cana 

Now the excitement is setting in for my upcoming trip south for my daughter's destination wedding. I've never been to a sunny clime, much preferring Europe's old churches, museums and the sort. But the idea of sitting under an umbrella at the beach reading and sipping something cold is extremely exciting, especially when in the company of my three daughters and the happy wedding guests. And, of course, I'm over the moon at my daughter's upcoming wedding to an amazing young man. 

I splurged and bought a lovely wedding outfit at a store I always window-shop at but have never purchased. I love the flowy, beachy, natural cotton dress with a little bling on the shawl. (I'm not a traditional mother-of-the-bride kinda gal.) And the sales lady picked out the perfect necklace as it mimics the circles on the dress. Add my sparkly sandals and I'm complete. 

But what shall I pack my clothes in? My suitcases are all old, tattered and so worn. 

Voila! The local online Buy 'n' Sell came to my rescue! I happily paid $25 for these 2 pieces and later found out from my daughter that they're Heys, a well respected but expensive luggage company. 

(I just liked it 'cause it was blue!)

Another thing that always puts a spring in my step is walking; and the weather and my schedule have cooperated so I was able to walk twice in the past week, breathing in the fresh salt air of The Bay, listening to bird song (and the occasional buzz of a chain saw) and being surrounded by lovely, budding trees.

Ahhhhhh! Spring! It's like a magic elixir for my soul! 

I'm Back

I've finally healed enough to type (and it's extra physio). It's been a very difficult 10 weeks. There are so many things that are affected by a break that no one is aware of until they're in the midst of it.

Here's my neat little Frankinstein scar covering my metal plate.
Soon I'm going to see if I can single-handedly wrist-hold a magnet!

I broke my wrist on Jan 22nd; had surgery on Feb 6th and got my cast off 2 weeks ago on Mar 21st. In between the break and the cast coming off there was, understandably, considerable pain. The doctor gave me an opiate for pain, but I didn't see much difference and I was quite wary of increasing the pills as they're so addictive. So instead, I smoked an Indica strain of cannabis; it helped me relax and took away 60-70% of the pain which meant that I could rest.

And rest I did! Wow! Your body goes into healing mode and all a person does for the first 3-4 weeks is rest. Getting all the pillows into an appropriate pattern to allow me to rest and support both my arm and back needed strategic planning and design! And thank goodness once again for Netflix and Crave TV which helped to entertain me.

I only missed a total of about 3 full weeks of work. Then I went part days:  my co-worker picked me up in the morning and my landlord brought me home at about 3 pm, exhausted and in such pain! But I was glad to get out of the house and didn't cuss too much at having to type one handed. I've been back full time for 2 weeks. Friends and family have helped to feed me; and I bought a lot of frozen meals so my diet suffered along with my hand. But I was happy to not have to prepare many meals myself.

I broke my foot 10 years or so ago and wasn't able to walk, of course. But did you know that when you break an arm or wrist, not only can you not use that particular limb, but you can't do a number of fairly important things. 

• I couldn't style/dry my hair, put backs on earrings or do up clasps on necklaces, or wear any pants that had zips or buttons.
• I couldn't butter bread. (All my aprons have permanent grease stains on the belly portion from attempting to butter 'n' jam my toast.)
• I couldn't chop veggies or slice bread. When I wanted to quarter an orange, for instance, I used my elbow to stabilize the orange and a bread knife to saw through. Exhausting!
• I couldn't wear a mitten or glove and had to wear my oversize ski jacket both for fit and so that I could cover my cold little cast fingers.
• I couldn't do up my bra; so it had to be fastened first, put on over my head (inserting my casted arm first) and then carefully, painfully pulled down into place. This took upwards of 5 min work and I always needed to rest afterwards.
• My back was bruised and hurt for a whole month after the fall. And I had to keep my arm elevated as much as possible. So, there were no soothing, rejuvenating epsom salts baths. And drying oneself after a shower was a long, hard process.
  
• AND it doesn't stop when the cast comes off as you now have to re-teach your arm/hand joints and muscles how to work. Nothing would move and the muscle pain is pretty awful. I'm doing my own 2x a day physio; and after 2 weeks I can touch my thumb to all my fingers and can curl them half way. Still not too much flexion in my wrist, but there is improvement every day. This week, I can use all my fingers to type (but I make a lot of mistakes with my left hand.)

Needless to say, breaking a wrist/arm is a tough go, but I'm on the mend. Thank you for entertaining me with your blog posts; and hope to begin blogging again soon on a more regular basis.

Here's hoping spring will come to my province soon to brighten my days and allow me to walk again. 

Ciao bellas!

NO SOUP (hike) FOR YOU!

One of the most frustrating things for me in this aging process is the way I discover my limitations. Sometimes, it's a simple matter of doing what you've always done but finding out that you aren't as good or as flexible as you used to be (i.e. yoga poses); or perhaps your stamina is lacking and it takes you longer because you need to rest more (i.e. gardening). And other times, it's as simple as looking at something you would have done before and knowing that you don't want to take a chance this season (i.e. jumping into the river from that bridge). Okay! as much as I don't like losing these things, I'll adjust my lifestyle and keep soldiering on.

However, most of the time, I find my limitations by unintentionally hurting myself. There's nothing gentle about it; no gradual decline in ability; no warning bells or alarms saying "Danger, Will Robinson!"; no little voice in my head saying to be extra cautious.

 

AND to add insult to injury, the memory banks are so full that I often forget things like the need to adjust the time I've allotted to something, that I can't do more than one "extra" per weekend, and that my recovery time will be longer and that's it's absolutely necessary. After 60+ years of living one way, it takes a lot of time, love and patience with oneself to relearn or to even let go. (So I keep reminding myself!)

I walk and hike because I love it; nature feeds my soul and gives me renewed purpose. But I also do it because it's good for me: it keeps me flexible, my sleep and digestion are better, I'm happier and it helps me lose weight. But when I'm actively trying to take care of myself and my body rebels by telling me after the fact via prolonged pain and distress that I made a wrong choice, it feels like betrayal. I have met the enemy ...... and it is ME!

Yep, I overdid it last weekend; and then put my back out just by picking up a tissue Tuesday. There was no hike. There was no walk. There was no picnic at the beach with friends. Boo hoo! The smallest violin played for me in my own mind as I rend my clothes and poured ashes on my head!

I spent this weekend fairly inactive. I did go yard saling with my BFF, and afterwards we had tea and sarnies on her back patio in the sunshine. But I spent the majority of my weekend resting with a heating pad at my back watching Netflix (Hello "Last Kingdom" and "Orange is the New Black" ) and looking longingly out my window at the green hills which were calling me.  But then later Saturday afternoon as I was lying outside in my lounge chair, I was struck by the beauty all around me. I was reminded of how privileged I am to live where I do and enjoy the luxury of a sunny day, a comfy lounger, and the joy that can be found in simply existing on such a day in such a place. 
  

I may be slowing down quicker than I like, I may have to wear more strings on my fingers as reminders, I may have to adjust my lifestyle, and yes, sometimes I may be house-bound just because of my own stupidity. 

But life is still beautiful! And I will continue to pursue it and grab whatever beauty I can in whatever way I can. 

Happy Summer Solstice

My heart has been heavy for the past week with the horrific news reports of what happening to immigrants and their children in the U.S. Now that we at least know families will be kept together from this point forward, I feel a little less sad. But, of course, there has been no report on reuniting families that have been torn apart already. My heart breaks and my head is reeling with anger at this. I am so sorry for my American neighbours. But as there is little I can do here in Canada, I sit and wait for some semblance of humanity to surface in those responsible for perpetrating this crime. And I pray. 

 

And then I turn my focus to my work (there's always some issue to advocate for or against at a women's centre); and I turn my focus to my children (one is currently visiting Tokyo so I'm living vicariously through her); and I look for joy in the little world closest to me. 


I've had some stellar evening walks! It's finally warming here in western Newfoundland with perfect temperatures for walking. Last evening's loop took me past the seaside with the sound of the gulls and the waves gently lapping (and the occasional car speeding past) and then through the forested former rail line with birdsong and the scent of flowers .... and barbeques! Yum!

Beauties found in the ditch along the way. 

Last night, I took an especially long walk to clear the cobwebs and dust out of my head. (Literal dust: there are renovations happening at the office, and I eat dust in spite of the mask I wear.) I also just wanted to leave the big work to God while I enjoy His creation. Then I came home, put dinner in the oven and turned on some Buena Vista Social Club to listen to while I soaked in a lavender and epsom salts bath. 

Yeah! That did the trick!

My resemblance to a porcupine!

My back went out a couple of weeks ago (didn't ask permission!); and after 2 weeks of pain and turtle-paced healing, I finally decided to book a massage. I tried a new clinic this time; and when I got there, filled in the half dozen forms and met with the proprietor, he asked if I'd like to try accupuncture. He follows the eastern philosophy of our ailments being linked to various organs or body functions. And I'm very sympathic to other medical philosophies as I'll do almost anything to avoid having to take a pill.

"Sure", I replied. "Let's try it". 

I lay on my tummy on the massage table as he put 6 needles in my left hip/buttock area and 4 in my left ear (directly connected to my kidneys?). I didn't feel most of the needles, and the ones I did feel were just like a momentary pin prick. I was extremely comfortable lying there for 15 minutes listening to soothing music.  After he took them out and I slowly got  up and about again, I was amazed that the pain was gone! It was wonderful!

He explained that throughout the day and for the next few days, it would feel different -- with some pain and/or discomfort returning or showing up in other areas. Accupuncture is a process that heals over a period of visits. 

Sure enough. That evening, there was mild discomfort. And because I work at a computer all day (the worse kind of work to do if you have back problems), some mild pain and discomfort returned. But not to the excruciating degree that it had been at. 

I had a second session this morning, and
I feel so much better then before I went in. 

Doctor Griffin:

You've made me a believer.

S'up?

Today, I'm taking a page out of Marie's blog posts and copying her format for "The Simple Woman's Daybook".

Outside my window: It's a light day; the sun is up there somewhere behind the clouds, but at least it's not snowing again. Still, there's no snow on the roads or sidewalks, so I've been able to walk most days.

I am thinking: I may look for a local TOPS group to join. Blame it on my new laid-back lifestyle here in NL, on the lengthy winter and extremely cold temperatures, my aging body or my lethargy, but I've gained weight this winter and my wardrobe does not appreciate it nor will my pocket book be able to take it! In my 80% solitary life, I'm not able to police myself effectively, but I know that I always do better it if I have supportive people around me. WW is too expensive and restrictive (I don't do low-fat or low-cal or chemically calorie reduced stuff at all. Toxic!). And I lost weight was part of TOPS 8 yr ago with a friend; so it's worth another try, I think. [And I may meet more friends!!!]


In the kitchen: My favorite weekend meal was a pan of oven roasted veg (onions, sweet potatoes, carrots and peppers) topped with a broccoli/cheese stuffed chicken breast. It was so juicy and delicious. I'm also dreaming about the perri-peri spatchcocked chicken I plan on making tomorrow. (I think about food a lot; thought often becomes action -- hence my weight gain!)


Something to Watch: I found a great German series on Netflix last weekend called "Dark". It's dubbed to English; so even though that means it's easier to follow and you don't have to read subtitles, the inflections and such in the dialogue are a little bizarre. However, the story line, acting and cinematography is fantastic. It's a mystery that has a touch of the supernatural (but not scary); sort of like 'Stranger Things' or the older 'Twin Peaks'. Very addictive!


Corners of my kingdom: This Friday past, I got together for dinner with old high school buddies, some of whom I hadn't seen in 46 years. How wonderful it is to sit after that long and feel as if there have been no breaks in your relationship, to feel that relaxed calm that comes from spending time with a trusted friend. It was warm and fuzzy and so wonderful!


Then on Saturday, I took part in the annual Rehtaeh Parsons walk here at work to bring focus to cyber bullying and suicide. Progress is often long and arduous when it comes to women's causes. :(  But as the mother of 4 females and as someone who made it through the gropings and cat calls of the 70's, 80's and 90's, I thank God that I can be part of the new voices calling for respect and equality.

Good to Know: 

Speak kindly to yourself. 

Stay healthy! 

I have a Man in my Mountain!

Autumn is in full swing here in Western Newfoundland. And even though Friday night's heavy rains brought a lot of leaves down (especially the gorgeous reds), my world is still ablaze with color. It's no wonder so many people love this season.

I took part in what may be my last hike of the season. I climbed the "Man in the Mountain" trail just outside Corner Brook. I've hiked worse (Hello Coppermines!), but this one was still quite challenging. You began by climbing (lots of roots, rocks, fallen trees and rotting leaves underfoot), then mercifully it levelled out. We hiked round #1 of 3 ponds that we'd pass until we reached the biggest challenge, an area called The Switchback. This was a steep, hillside climb (as opposed to hill-slide down into that pond); it was slippery and there were no ropes to grab; you had to hope that tree branch would hold! But look where you came out at the top.  

See the parking lot in the center?
We're only half way there!

 But this is just the top of a small mountain. We have to continue hiking .... and climbing .... and thankfully, stopping to rest at conveniently placed benches and natural stone seats. There were partridgeberries growing along the way -- a tart, cranberry-like berry which is a favorite with Newfoundlanders. 

The path was sometimes a riot of fall colors; and then there was this small clearing which was surrounded by beautiful red foliage. And the smells were unbelievable! It almost smelled like partridgeberry jam cooking, this sweet, tart, juicy fragrance! Yum!  

But finally we reached the top -- 984 feet up! Wow!

On my right is the Humber River and the highway leading to Corner Brook and the outer Bay of Islands.



And on my left is again the Humber River (showing Shellbird Island) and the TCH (Trans Canada Highway) which leads across the Island, past Marble Mountain Ski Resort, through the lovely Humber Valley.  

There's only one man in this mountain. The smaller circle shows the location of the "Man"
 and the larger circle shows the "man" in greater detail. 

Yep! We were at the very top of this mountain. And if I had been dangled off the side, I could have seen the actual "man in the mountain"!

 ..... but I just took my hiking guide's word for it! 

I defeated the Man in the Mountain, 

and I have battle wounds to prove it!

Spring Spruce Up

Due to my life-of-leisure lately (laid off, collecting EI and working casual), I am way ahead of my usual spring spruce-up game. The gardens have been weeded, fed and mulched; they are looking mighty pretty for Nova Scotia in May!

The front bed is bidding goodbye to the last of the tulips and hello to the primrose and grape hyacinth. The planter under my Newfoundland flag contains basil, thyme and Italian parsley. I don't get a lot of direct sunlight, but I'm hopeful that the herbs will continue to grow throughout the summer.

 









The side bed next to the brook is filling in. The sunlight only reaches the tree-garden bed for short periods during the day, but the creeping phlox is beginning to bloom and Astilbe, faux Sunflower, sedum and other plants are showing their wee faces. In that area, it's a futile fight against nature, I know; but somehow, I love its wildness.

I've also been painting the entire main floor, ceilings and trim -- something that's not been done in total in the 8 years I've lived here.   I've had some help with that; also, because I want to retain some feeling in my hands and fingers (carpal tunnel), I've made sure there were 4-5 days off in between painting sessions. I choose a lovely light, airy color called "Bluegrass White" by Dulux. (A lot of color for white, huh?) I've been gathering new cushion covers for the past year or so with the intention of changing up my color scheme a little; and I've shopped my house for other "new" do-dads. 

The 2 red cushions were thrifted. The elephant is from Wicker Emporium ($12 on sale); and the anchor was a recent purchase online from Rosegal ($5)

And I just found this beauty at Frenchies last week for $4, cushion included.

What a difference a color change makes! Besides the downstairs looking clean and fresh, I feel more energetic and positive every time I look at it. As they say:  "A change is as good as a rest"!

Next chore are the 3 decks. I'll hire someone to scrape and then I'll tackle the staining. And when I "shopped" my paint can area of the basement, I was lucky enough to come up with just enough stain and paint in all the right colors. Nice to know that won't cost me any money. (Must keep in mind the summer wine supplies, huh.)

Now to get back to sprucing myself up! Several weeks of painting and gardening have ravaged my hands and nails. I guess I need a week of soaking in the bathtub with wine spritzers. 

Not a problem at all!

Get me out before I'm pruny!